1. Los Angeles Unified School District
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Program
Presented by: Meghan O’Brien, M.S. CCC-SLP, AAC Consultant
Meghan Dewey, M.S. SLP, AAC Consultant

2. Outcomes of this presentation
Participants will:
Understand how AAC supports students’ access to the curriculum
Understand what types of students are appropriate for AAC
Understand how an AAC assessment is conducted

3. Agenda What is Language and Speech therapy in LAUSD?
What is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)?
Who requires AAC to access the curriculum?
Types of AAC
How to access AAC
Communication functions for curriculum access
How to request an assessment

4. Speech and Language Program
School language and speech therapy supports the educational program of students who have a communication disorder that adversely affect their educational performance.

5. Language and Speech includes
Articulation/Phonology
Language
Fluency (Stuttering)
Voice

6. What is AAC?
“The supplementation or replacement of natural speech and/or writing with a variety of symbols, strategies, and techniques” (Lloyd, Fuller & Arvidson, 1997).

7. Who is AAC for?
Students with complex communication needs who are/have:
Physically involved but cognitively able
Multiply involved with unknown cognitive abilities
Physically able but motor speech or language delayed
Pre-verbal or emergent-verbal
On the autism spectrum
Developmentally delayed
Exhibiting behavior disorders related to inability to communicate effectively
Severe speech sound production difficulties
AND who have difficulty accessing their curriculum in the absence of AAC support

8. Types of AAC: No-Tech
Any AAC system that does not require a power source

9. Types of AAC: Low-Tech
Requires a source of power; often used to encourage early communication skills

10. Types of AAC: Mid-Tech
Requires a source of power; has more vocabulary than low-tech systems

11. Types of AAC: High-Tech
Electronic devices that permit the storage and retrieval of messages.

12. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

13. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

14. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

15. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

16. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

17. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

18. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

19. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

20. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

21. AAC: Access Direct selection Indirect selection
Pointing with physical contact
Finger
Stylus
Mouthstick
Pointing without physical contact
Eyegaze
Lightpointer
Headmouse
Symbol pickup and exchange
Indirect selection
Scanning with single or dual switches
Directed scanning
joystick

22. What leads to successful AAC use?
Frequent, consistent use in a variety of settings (e.g., school, home, community) to discuss motivating topics.
Aided language stimulation (Goosens & Crain, 1986):
Provide user with a model of the system in use
Allow user to see AAC symbols in everyday situations
Suggest to the user that the system is an acceptable means of communication

23. How to support the needs of your AAC user
Augmented communicators describe a ‘good’ communication partner as patient, motivated, interested, and comfortable with all methods of communication
Sometimes communication partners underrate their abilities, shout at them as though they are deaf, over enunciate, and/or talk to others instead of addressing them directly
Blackstone, 1999

24. How to request an AAC assessment
AAC support is the responsibility of the school site speech-language pathologist (SLP)
Request screening from SLP
If appropriate, assessment plan will be generated and sent home for signature
IEP will be held within 60 days to determine if student requires AAC to access his/her curriculum